Putin seeks BRICS moves to protect against US "sanction attacks"

MOSCOW, July 15 (Reuters) - Russia will press other BRICS
emerging market nations to agree measures to prevent "sanction
attacks" by the United States to "harass" countries opposing its
policies, President Vladimir Putin said.

Putin said he would urge Brazil, China, India and South
Africa to draw "substantive conclusions" from sanctions imposed
on Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis during a two-day
BRICS summit in Brazil starting on Tuesday.

"Recently Russia has been exposed to a sanction attack by
the United States and its allies," the Kremlin leader told
Itar-Tass news agency in an interview.

"Together we should think about a system of measures that
would help prevent the harassment of countries that do not agree
with some foreign policy decisions made by the United States and
their allies, but would promote a civilised dialogue on all
points at issue based on mutual respect."

Putin gave no details but said the BRICS should cooperate
more at the United Nations, where Russia and China have the
right of veto, and work together more closely to combat
security threats.

The Russian leader, who attended the World Cup final in
Brazil on Sunday, wants the emerging powers to play a bigger
role in world affairs to counter U.S. influence.

"Any attempts to create a model of international relations
where all decisions are made within a single 'pole' are
ineffective, malfunction regularly, and are ultimately set to
fail," he told Itar-Tass.

Putin has stepped up criticism of what he says is U.S.
meddling in other states' affairs as the former Cold War
superpowers clashed over Russia's annexation of Crimea in March
and its political support of separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The United States and the European Union have imposed visa
bans and asset freezes on some Russian officials and companies,
and have threatened more sanctions if Moscow does not do more to
de-escalate the crisis.

The BRICS nations will sign off at the summit in the coastal
city of Fortaleza on a development bank and emergency reserves
fund, a big step for a diverse group known more for its
anti-Western rhetoric than coordinated action.
(Reporting by Alexei Anishchuk and Lidia Kelly, Writing by
Timothy Heritage, Editing by Mark Heinrich)